Innovating experiences and Challenges for Health Surveillance
In keeping with its mission of promoting and protecting the health of the population, the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) has several responsibilities, including the supervision of advertising of products subject to sanitary surveillance in order to prevent, avoid or eliminate health risks caused by the influence of unfair or deceptive advertising transmitted in different media. In order to control the maximum number of advertisements, the Agency developed a project in 2002 in partnership with higher education institutions in different states, so that advertising could be collected and sent to ANVISA for analysis. Among its many results, some indicated the need to adequately inform the public about the consumption of products subject to sanitary surveillance. The health measures should not be limited to police power, such as the monitoring, authorization and punishment of crimes. To effectively accomplish its mission of eliminating, reducing or preventing public health risks, surveillance should develop, on daily basis, educational activities focused on awareness and guidance for the population. The alignment between supervision and education in terms of sanitary surveillance provides an interactive relationship between the State, manufacturing sector and society, plus it causes the essential change of attitude towards the protection and promotion of the population’s health. Following the aforementioned patterns, the “Educanvisa Project: Sanitary Surveillance Education� was created. It is an educational activity that has been training teachers and sanitary surveillance professionals since 2005 in order to promote proper use of medicines and food within the school community. The school community is an environment that encourages discussion, participation and plays a key role in preparing people for adult and public life so they can exercise a full citizenship. As a privileged space it is, the school can develop strategies involving both the educational institutions and its environment in order to improve the living and health conditions of the populations.
objeCtIves Educate the school community about the risks associated with the inadequate consumption of products subject to sanitary surveillance, which are usually influenced by advertising, by including surveillance in the curriculum of public schools participating in the Educanvisa program.
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